Seats



y 5, 1964 E. R. MCGREGOR 3,131,970

SEATS Filed May 21, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. [Dam 5K fi/a GREG 0/? 4 7' TORNEY y 5, 1 E. R. MCGREGOR 3,131,970

SEATS Filed May 21, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY W W ATTOR/VfY May 5, 1 E. R. MOGREGOR SEATS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 21, 1962 A TTOIF/Vf Y United States Patent 3,131,979 SEATS Eugene R. McGregor, La Crescenta, Calif., assignor to Aerotec Industries, Inc, Greenwich, Conn, a corporalion of Connecticut Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 195,118 2 Claims. ((Ii. 297-445) My invention relates to an improvement in seat constructions, such as chairs, benches, seats, and the like, all to be referred to hereinafter as seats, and has for one of its objects to provide a sturdy seat construction which will be inexpensive to fabricate as compared with conventional designs and one which will provide a high comfort level for the occupant without the necessity of employing cushioning or the like, such as employed in prior constructions.

Basicafly, my invention provides seat ng equipment fabricated from a plurality of preformed contours which, along with the seat legs, are slipped or strung in juxtaposed relation upon a plurality of lateral members by which the contours and seat legs are held in assembled relation. This enables the seat to be made up in any desired width simply by varying the number of contours employed.

Each contour may be in one piece, so shaped as to provide integral backrest and seat bottom, or each contour may be made in two pieces, one piece forming the backrest, the other the seat bottom.

In general, my construction is such that in assembling it is merely necessary to string the contours and legs upon the lateral members, and then, by heading up the lateral members or by tightening the screws or the like with which the laterals may be equipped, the contours and legs will be squeezed together snugly and firmly held in juxtaposed relation.

While the contours may be fabricated from various materials, it is essential that the material be somewhat flexible and that it possess a certain amount of elasticity so as to promote form-fit comfort for the seat occupant. I prefer plastics, such as polypropylene or polycarbonate plastic resins, for example, because of their moldability, lightness, high strength their inherent flexing qualities, and other characteristics which adapt them to my purpose.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate one embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 1 being an isometric view of a one-piece contour,

FIG. 2 being an isometric view showing the contours and legs partially assembled,

FIG. 3 being a view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, while FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 to 9 illustrate another embodiment of my invention in which I employ contours different in construction from those of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4,

FIG. 5 being a side elevational view,

FIG. 6 being an isometric view showing the contours and legs partially assembled,

FIG. 7 being a view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 being a view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7, while FIG. 9 is a view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are elevational views of another type of contour so constructed as to enable the backrest to be folded down upon the seat bottoms; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, isometric view of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail and, first of to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive,

2 designates the flexible, preformed contours of this embodiment of my invention. The contours are identical all,

3,131,979 Patented May 5, 1954 in construction. Each contour is composed of a material which inherently is somewhat flexible and elastic and, in this embodiment, is in one piece and so shaped as to provide integral backrest 4 and seat bottom 6. The rear face of each contour is provided with an integral stiifening rib or web 3, extending lengthwise of the contour, each rib or web being formed with integral bosses 193, one adjacent the front end of the seat bottom and the other adjacent the rear end of the seat bottom. Each boss is provided with a transverse bore 12 which, for purposes of illustration only, has been shown as non-circular, these bores extending through both the boss and web.

14 designates the seat legs of wood or metal, the upper end of each leg being provided with a bore of the same size and shape as the bores 12.

16 designates two laterals upon which the contours 2 and legs 14 are strung. These laterals may be either tubes or rods and are preferably of metal. Inasmuch as the laterals extend through the bores 12 and the bores in the seat legs, I prefer that their cross-section be similar to the bores. Each lateral may be provided at each end with a screw 18, or one end of each lateral may be headed, while the other end is provided with a screw to hold the pats in assembled relation, or the laterals may be headed over at each end after the seat parts are assembled.

In assembling my improved seat, it is merely necessary to slip the preformed contours and legs upon the laterals 1.6, spacers 19 if desired, being provided between adjacent contours except where the heads of the legs 14 provide the desired spacing between contours. Then, by simply inserting the screws 18 into the ends of each lateral and tightening these screws or by heading over each end of the laterals, the contours and seat legs will be squeezed together tightly and snugly and held in juxtaposed relation.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that my seat is inexpensive and sturdy in construction, that the stiffening webs 8 will maintain the laterals properly separated when the seat is occupied, and that my improved seat will provide form-fit comfort without the necessity of employing cushioning or the like.

In FIGS. 5 to 9 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, in which, while I have retained the basic idea of stringing or threading a plurality of identical contours upon a plurality of lateral members, I have varied the construction of the contours as Well as the construction by which the contours and seat legs are held in assembled relation.

Referring to this embodiment, 2, as before, designates the seat contours. These contours are of a material such as above referred to, possessing a certain amount of flexibility and elasticity. The contours are identical in construction and shaped to provide a seat in which the backrest and seat bottom are integral with each other. As distinguished from the contours of FIG. 1, each contour of FIGS. 5 to 9 comprises an upper flexible wall or deflection contour strap 20 and an integral lower wall 22. The inner face of the lower wall 22 of each contour is formed with an integal stiffening web 24, extending lengthwise of the contour from adjacent the front end of the seat bottom to a point near the top of the backrest, at which area this web is of such dimensions as to be formed integral with both the upper and lower walls of the contours, as seen at 26. The web 24- of each contour, near the front and rear ends of the seat bottom, is formed with bored bosses 28, the bore of each boss extending through the web. For purposes of illustration the bosses of the webs of the two end contours have been shown externally splined, as indicated at 30.

The upper end of each seat leg 14 is bored, as seen at 32, and these bores are provided with internal keyways 34 matching the splines 30.

- The contours and legs are strung upon lateral members 36, which may he tubularas shown, or they may be solid rods and each "lateral member may be provided at each end, for-example, with a screw 38 so that, with the parts assembled, tightening of these screws will squeeze the contours and seat legs together tightly and snugly in juxtaposed relation, or the lateral members may be headed over at each end after assembling.

The portion 25, of each web 24 of each contour, which I have explained is integral with both the upper and lower walls 26 and 22 of the contour, is formed with an elongated bore 40 for the reception of a flat strip 42 of plastic or other suitable material, which extends the full width of the seat back and ties the contours together along to hold the seat partsin assembled relation.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10 and '11 the contours 2 are similar in construction and in the material of which they are composed to the contours of FIGS. 5 to 9 and, it is to be appreciated, will be assembled with laterals and legs as described in connections with the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5. In the construction of FIGS. 10 and 11 l have made provision, however, for folding the backrest over upon the seat bottom simply by 50 forming the backrest and bottom of each contour as to hinge the backrest and bottom togetherby a flexible integral hinge 44. To hold the backrest in upright position, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the backrest may be shaped to provide an integral spring clip 46, while the seat bottom may be shaped to provide an integral catch 48-, which cooperates with the clip 4s. Each contour of this embodiment is, in effect, a one-piece unit, the hinge 44 and clip 46 1 being integral with the backrest and seat bottom, but, as distinguished from FIGS. 2 and 5, the backrest may be folded over toward the seat bottom. *In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 l have shown a construction wherein each contour, which is composed" a conform to the curvature of the flanges 54 and is formed with two transverse bores 62 and 64. The front end of each contour of the seat bottom is formed with a trans verse bore 66.

' The contours and legs may be assembled upon the laterals 16 and tied together as described in connection with FIG. 1, for example. nated '68, is employed in this construction, this lateral passing. through bores 62 near the upper end of the upwardly extending rear ends of the seat-bottom contours and through bores. 56 formed in the flanges 54 of the backrest. The parts are so assembled that the backrest s'eotions'50 alternate with the seat-bottom sections 52.

It will be seen from all of the foregoing that I have provided a seat construction comprising a plurality of An additional lateral, desig.v

seat contours and legs which are strung in juxtaposed relation upon a plurality of spaced laterals by which they are 7 tied together, thus eliminating entirely the, usual main supporting seat frame to which the contours and legs would conventionally be secured in some fashion. This is of decided advantage economically inthat, obviously, it reduces manufacturing and assembling costs.

It will be appreciated furthermore that my improved construction, while providing an economic advantage, does not require the sacrifice of the sturdiness essential in seat constructions.

It will be appreciated also from all of the foregoing that, bymakin'g the contours of plastic material, the se at can readily be shaped to conform itself to the body'of the seat occupant, to promote form-fit comfort.

It will be appreciated furthermore that in all constructions the laterals upon which the contours and seat. legs are strung will be maintained in spaced relation at all times by the stiifening webs with which each contour is provided. 0

7 As to the embodiments of my invention shown in FIGS. 5 to 12, it will be appreciated that, by providing doublewalled contours in which the lower wall of each contour is provided with a stiflening web, the upper wall will deflect under the weight of the seat occupant, to provide the maximum in form-fit comfort.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details of constructions and arrangement of parts hereinabove described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings within the purview of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A seat comprising a plurality of preformed, identical, double-walled contours of flexible material, said contours constituting the bottom and backrest of the seat,

the inner face of the lower wall of each contour being provided with an integral stifiening web extending lengthwise of the contour; seat legs; lateral members extending through said webs and legs for tying the contours and legs together in aligned juxtaposed relation to each other, the upper wall of each contour being deflectable relatively to the lower wall under the weight of the seat oc.

cupant to conform to the occupants body and promote form-fit comfort. 1 p

2. A seat comprisinng a plurality of preformed, identical, double-walled contours of flexible material, these contours constituting the bottom and backrest of the seat,

-' the inner face of the lower wall of each contour being provided with a stiffening web which extends lengthwise of the contour, said web near the upper end of each contour being integral with both the lower and upper Wall ofithe contour, the web throughout the remainder of its length terminating short of the upper wall of the content, the upper wall of each contour being deflectable relatively to the lower wall under the weight of the seat occupant; a lateral member passing through'the upper part of the contour webs which is integral with both walls of the contours; lateral members extending through i that portion of the said webs which extends along the seat bottom; and means cooperating with these lateral members for squeezing the contours snugly together in aligned juxtaposed relation to each other upon the laterals.

References Citedin the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SEAT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PREFORMED, IDENTICAL, DOUBLE-WALLED CONTOURS OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, SAID CONTOURS CONSTITUTING THE BOTTOM AND BACKREST OF THE SEAT, THE INNER FACE OF THE LOWER WALL OF EACH CONTOUR BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTEGRAL STIFFENING WEB EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE CONTOUR; SEAT LEGS; LATERAL MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID WEBS AND LEGS FOR TYING THE CONTOURS AND LEGS TOGETHER IN ALIGNED JUXTAPOSED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, THE UPPER WALL OF EACH CONTOUR BEING DEFLECTABLE RELATIVELY TO THE LOWER WALL UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE SEAT OCCUPANT TO CONFORM TO THE OCCUPANT''S BODY AND PROMOTE FORM-FIT COMFORT. 